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Quality Comes First for Manufacturer of Electronic Interconnect Components

ASTORIA, N.Y--Keystone Electronics, an ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturer of precision electronic interconnect components and hardware, has been producing standard and custom parts for diverse industries--including the medical field, electronics contract manufacturers, and industrial clients--for more than half a century. The company's custom manufacturing division deploys a variety of stamping, machining, and assembly equipment to fulfill special requirements for close tolerance parts like LED spacers and lens caps; fuse clips; and PCB pins, plugs, and sockets. But unlike many manufacturers of custom parts, Keystone doesn't consider itself a contract manufacturer in the traditional sense of the term.

"We don't go out and do contract bids," says Joe Rosenblum, Keystone's national sales manager. "We're a design and engineering manufacturer that works with end users, OEMs, and engineering facilities to create a product based on the styles and categories of products that we excel in, which is electronic interconnect components and hardware."

One of the company's strengths, according to Rosenblum, is that it's not locked into one particular marketplace. Although Keystone manufactures parts that are used in aerospace applications, for example, it doesn't produce parts specifically geared toward that or any other industry. "The products that we manufacture are used across a wide variety of marketplaces," says Rosenblum. "We're not a QPL (Qualified Products List) house, and we don't use any aerospace requirements or configurations. The products that we manufacture, and the styles of the products that we manufacture, are driven by commercial requirements."

Products manufactured by Keystone include standoffs, spacers, connectivity products for PCBs, test points for PCBs, and quick fit connectors. The company is also known for its battery components, including clips, holders, and contacts. "All of these parts and components are used in the electronics of the aerospace industry," says Rosenblum. The company is also prolific in turning out parts and components for the medical industry, in both standard and custom configurations. The components are used in various medical devices, such as diabetes testing equipment, home monitoring devices, cardiac machines, and defibrillators.

"In the medical industry, we make a lot of battery holders, clips, and contacts," Rosenblum points out. "We don't make parts that go into an autoclave or into body cavities, so they aren't considered critical-use parts, but we still maintain a very high integrity of product quality, regardless of the category, style, or industry that the parts are going into. In the case of a custom product, the dimensional requirements and tolerances are agreed upon by the customer and Keystone before we make any tooling."

Keystone is able to expedite its manufacturing processes and control costs in a number of ways--no small task when manufacturing precision parts to close tolerances. It all begins with the use of CAD/CAM and 3D modeling software. "We can analyze models from customers and then integrate them into our tool room," Rosenblum says. "So it's seamless as far as evaluating and costing a potential new tool and customer requirement."

The company also combines what Rosenblum calls "a very talented and knowledgeable team" of engineers, tool and die makers, and production personnel, with state-of-the-art tool making equipment, automated EDM and hole popping equipment, and a full array of stamping presses, fourslide, and screw machine equipment.

"All of these teams and all of their experience, combined, allow us to do a lot of things that new players are not able to do," he says. "Specifically, because we've got our own in-house tooling, we're able to manufacture affordably here in the United States," he says. "We're able to create unique tools and affordable pricing, so we're very cost-effective."

In explaining how Keystone is able to solve its clients' manufacturing problems, Rosenblum credits a blend of strengths--including communication, design, and engineering skills--that he believes would be difficult for overseas competitors to match. Although the company's standard parts can often meet a customer's challenge, he says that most often, customers find solutions by discussing an end user's requirements with Keystone's engineering and product people. The company's experienced design and engineering staff, he notes, is fully integrated with its state-of-the-art tooling and manufacturing facilities to provide solutions to customer requirements.

"We have the expertise of the sales team, the engineering team, production team, and the tooling team to solve customer problems," he points out. "Communication is very important, so our clients can discuss their parts in real-time with our engineers."

Rosenblum says that the people at Keystone Electronics pride themselves on the company's quality, integrity, and experience in the marketplace, all of which have contributed to the creation of a strong company identity. "Being in the business for 60 years, we are a quality brand," he says. "Quality has always been in the forefront of our manufacturing. You get what you pay for, and you may not get the quality you're looking for overseas."